System-provided window elements having adjustable dimensions

Abstract: An operating system provides a number of window elements that the operating system itself or applications may use in displaying a window. The operating system includes a dialog box for enabling a user to adjust the individual sizes of the respective window elements independently of the size of the window. The bitmaps for the window elements are stored in a cache that is re-drawn each time the user changes the size of any of the window elements.

Description: The present invention relates to a data processing system and a method for use in a data processing system and, in particular, relates to a system and a method allowing to customise the size of window elements provided by an operating system. Background of the Invention The WINDOWS, Version 3.1, Operating System, sold by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, provides resources to application programs for generating windows on a visual display. In particular, the operating system provides bitmaps for the window elements. As a result, every window that is generated by the application programs has a similar appearance. In order to understand what kind of bitmaps the operating system stores for window elements, it is helpful to first review what kind of elements are typically included in a window. Figure 1 shows an example of a typical window 10 generated by an application program. The window includes a system menu box 12, which may be opened by a user to display a list of system commands available to the user. The window 10 also includes a caption or title bar 14 that displays a title or a caption for the application program that is executing. A menu bar 16 is included in the window 10 to display application commands that the user may perform in the current application. A minimize button 18 and a maximize button 20 are also provided in the window 10 to allow a user to minimize or maximize the size of the window. When maximized, the window 10 occupies most of the video display screen. When minimized, the window 10 appears as an icon. The winnow 10 also includes a sizing border 22 which may be dragged using a pointing device, such as a mouse, to adjust the size of the window 10. The window 10 additionally includes a client area 24 in which the application program may display output. The window 10, likewise, includes scroll bars 26 for scrolling through the contents of a document that is displayed in the client area 24. A vertical scroll bar and a horizontal scroll bar are included in the window 10 of Figure 1. Each of the scroll bars 26 includes a scroll box or a thumb 29 that travels the length of the scroll bar to indicate the current position of the displayed document that is shown in the client area 24 relative to the entire contents of the document being displayed. Scroll bar arrows 28 are provided at each end of the scroll bars 26. A user may click a mouse on the arrows at the respective ends to scroll the contents displayed on the screen in the direction of the arrow. The operating system provides bitmaps for the system menu button 12, the minimize button 18, the maximize button 20, scroll bar arrows 28, and any check boxes, radio buttons, menu arrows or menu check marks that are included in the window. When the window 10 is resized, such as through dragging of sizing border 22 as described above, the window elements provided by the operating system do not change in size (except that in certain instances, the height of the vertical scroll bar 26 and the length of the horizontal scroll bar may change). Since these window elements provided by the operating system do not change when the window 10 is resized, the bitmaps for the window elements do not need to be updated after the window is resized. Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps that are performed by the operating system to allow application programs to use the bitmaps for the system-provided elements of a window. The bitmaps are initially stored in a display driver for the video display. The display driver is typically part of the operating system and must comply with standards that permit its use in the operating system. During initialization of the operating system, the display driver is loaded into memory (step 30). The bitmaps held in the display driver are then transferred using the BitBlt() function into a cache (step 32) . Subsequently, when an application program wishes to draw a window on the video display, the application program retrieves the bitmaps from the cache and uses the bitmaps to draw the system-provided window elements (step 34). IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 9B, February 1990, page 85, "Dynamic Sizing for Graphical Control Objects" describes a method for permitting dynamic sizing of graphical objects in an OS/2 Presentation Manager control, being a user interface called in the following "control". In order to dynamically resize individual objects as for example icons shown in the control, it is suggested to add a "new message" to the control which permits an application to specify the desired size for the graphical objects in the control. In response to this single message, all graphical objects (ie. icons) are resized. The reference is concerned with resizing graphical objects that are displayed within a window control and not with the resizing of standard window elements forming part of the window. The purpose of the method as described in the reference is to shrink the icons displayed by the control with a single instruction to free additional screen real estate. In contrast, the present invention deals with the individual resizing of standard window elements when provided by an operation system for use by both, operating system and application programs. Ccmputer, Vol. 23, No. 11, Nov. 1990, Long Beach, US., B.A. Myers et al.: Garnet Comprehensive support for graphical highly interactive user interfaces mentions on page 71, left column, that most graphical interfaces are created using tool-kits such as menus, scroll bars and buttons. It is also mentioned that many tool-kits do not help the programmer to create the most important part of the application - the graphics that appear in the main application window. In the middle column of page 71, it is further mentioned that modifying or creating tool-kit items is usually difficult or impossible. In the last paragraph of the left column of page 80, it is mentioned that in some tool-kits each gadget is a window. This would significantly limit what gadgets can do. It is further stated that in Garnet, the gadgets are not windows, but, for example, a line with an attached arrow head (Figure 12g). It is clear from these portions that this reference suggests as an improvement to use gadgets which are not windows, but which help to create and manipulate graphical objects that appear in the application window. It is the object of the present invention to provide a data processing system and a respective method allowing easy resizing of standard window elements that are provided by an operating system for use by both, operating system and application programs. This object is solved by the subject matter of independent claims 1 and 13. The preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a diagram of a conventional window. Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating how a conventional system obtains bitmaps for system-provided window elements. Figure 3 is a block diagram of a data processing system suitable for practicing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps that are performed by the preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide adjustable size window elements. Figure 5 is a diagram of a dialog box for adjusting the sizes of system-provided window elements in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating how new bitmaps for window elements are drawn in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention A preferred embodiment of the present invention allows a user to customize the size of window elements provided by an operating system ("system-provided window elements"). The window elements may be used by the operating system as well as application programs that are run on the operating system. The size of the system-provided window elements may be adjusted independently of the window size. Figure 3 shows a block diagram of data processing system 36 suitable for practicing the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The data processing system includes a central processing unit (CPU) 38, a memory 40, a keyboard 42, a mouse 44 and a video display 46. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention need not be practiced in a single processor system but rather may also be practiced in a multiple processor system, such as a distributed system. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the data processing system may include alternative input/output devices that differ from those shown in Figure 3. The memory 40 holds a number of items, including a copy of an operating system 48. The operating system 48 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is an embellished version of the Microsoft WINDOWS, Version 3.1, Operating System that supports such resizing of system-provided window elements. Nevertheless, those skilled in the art will recognize that other operating systems may be used in the present invention. The operating system 48 includes at least one display driver 50 and a bitmap cache 52 for storing the bitmaps of the system-provided window elements. The operating system 48 also includes a number of fonts 53 for use by the operating system and application programs. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an overview of the steps performed by the preferred embodiment of the present invention to facilitate resizing of system-provided window elements. The display driver or drivers for output devices, such as the video display 46 or the printer 47 (Figure 1) are loaded into the memory 40 (Step 54 in Figure 4). The bitmaps are then transferred using the BitBlt() function (such as described in the Background of the Invention) from the display drivers to the bitmap cache 52 (step 56). The preferred embodiment of the present invention allows the user to change at least one dimension of each system-provided window element (step 58 in Figure 4) by using a dialog box 64, like that shown in Figure 5. The dialog box 64 includes a section 66 that concerns metrics schemes, a section 68 that concerns a preview of window elements, a section 70 concerning system-provided window elements and a section 72 concerning fonts. Before discussing the dialog box 64 in more detail, it is helpful to review what "system metrics" are in the operating system 48. The system metrics, among other things, hold information about the size of system-provided window elements. The system metrics include the following that relate to window elements: SM_CKSCREEN Screen width in pixels SM_CYSCREEN Screen height in pixels SM_CXVSCROLL Vertical scroll arrow width SM_CYHSCROLL Horizontal scroll arrow height SM_CYCAPTION Caption bar height SM_CXBORDER Window border width SM-CYBORDER Window border height SM_CXDLGFRAME Dialog window frame width SM_CYDLGFRAME Dialog window frame height SM_CYVTHUMB Vertical scroll thumb height SM_CXHTHUMB Horizontal scroll thumb width SM_CXICON Icon width SM_CYICON Icon height SM_CXCURSOR Cursor width SM_CYCURSOR Cursor height SM_CYMENU Menu bar height SM_CXFULLSCREEN Full screen client area width SM_CYFULLSCREEN Full screen client area height SM_CYKANJIWINDOW Kanji window height SM_CYVSCROLL Vertical scroll arrow height SM_CXHSCROLL Horizontal scroll arrow width SM_CXMIN Minimum window width SM_CYMIN Minimum window height SM_CXSIZE Minimize/Maximize icon width SM_CYSIZE Minimize/Maximize icon height SM_CXFRAME Window frame width SM_CYFRAME Window frame height SM_CXICONSPACING Horizontal icon spacing SM_CYICONSPACING Vertical icon spacing Section 66 of the dialog box 64 allows a user to select a scheme from a list of pre-defined schemes that each specify a single unique set of values for the system metrics that relate to window elements. The user saves, deletes or selects a particular system metrics scheme using section 66 of the dialog box 64. As shown in Figure 5, section 66 includes a drop down list box 74 that lists the system metrics schemes that are currently saved by the operating system 48. The drop down list box 74 is shown in the closed state in Figure 5 and in the closed state, shows only the currently selected system metrics scheme. Examples of window elements that are generated in accordance with the currently selected system metrics scheme are displayed in section 68. In the example of Figure 5, the currently selected system metrics scheme is the "Easy Reading" system metrics scheme, in which all of the system-provided window elements have large system metrics values, is displayed in large letters. The operating system 48 provides a number of predefined system metrics schemes, but the user also has the option of saving additional system metrics scheme by pressing the "Save Scheme" button 76. The user may initially begin with one of the previously saved system metrics schemes and then utilize section 70 of the dialog box 64 to further customize the size of particular system-provided window elements. The resulting system metrics values may be saved in a new scheme. Moreover, the user may remove a scheme from the list by pressing the "Remove Scheme" button 78. Section 70 of the dialog box 64 (which concerns the system-provided window elements) includes a drop down list box 80 that holds a list of the system metrics for the system-provided window elements. The current size of the selected system metric is displayed in the "Element Size" box 82. In the example of Figure 5, the "menu height" system metric is the currently selected system metric and the current menu height is "25". The user may click the mouse 44 on the upward arrow 84 to increase the element size and click the mouse on the downward arrow 86 to decrease the element size. In addition, the user may put the caret on the value and directly edit the value. Referring once again to the flowchart of Figure 4, the user requests a change in the dimension of the system-provided window element in step 58 by using the dialog box 64, as described above (Figure 5). Subsequently, after the user has finalized the changes and exited the dialog box 64, the bitmaps stored in the bitmap cache 52 (Figure 3) are re-drawn in response to the user request (step 60). In particular, every time that a user changes one of the system metrics for the system-provided window elements, the entire bitmap cache is re-drawn. The revised bitmap cache 52 may then be subsequently used to draw the system-provided window elements. The value selected for each of the system metrics persists until a new value is selected by the user. The operating system 48 provides a separate routine for each system-provided window element to generate a new bitmap for the window element in step 60 of Figure 4. Each time that the system metrics are changed, these routines are called to re-draw the bitmaps for the system-provided window elements. The routines operate quickly enough so that no substantial overhead is incurred in re-drawing the bitmaps that are stored in the bitmap cache 52. Although each of the routines has particularities that are unique to the nature of the system-provided window element which the routine draws, the basic approach of each of the routines is the same. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the steps performed by these routines to draw the new bitmap of its corresponding window element. Initially, a rectangle is drawn to have the dimensions that are specified by fixed dimension values and a system metric value for the window element (step 88). For instance, the vertical scroll arrow width (e.g., SM _ CXVSCROLL) is specified by a system metric and the vertical scroll arrow height is also specified by a system metric (i.e., SM_CYVTHUMB, because the thumb and scroll bar arrow have the same height). These values of the dimensions are used to compute a rectangle of the proper size for a vertical scroll arrow. The system then checks whether the visual element to be drawn is a push button (step 90). Push buttons are given special treatment because they mail assume heights other than the zero level logical surface of the video display (i.e;, they mail not appear flat). Specifically, a push button mail be raised or may be sunken below the zero level logical surfaces Thus, if the visual element is a push button, the push button must be drawn in the appropriate state inside and including the rectangle (step 92). The push bucton mail be drawn using conventional techniques. When the push button has been drawn or if the visual element is not a push button, a corresponding glyph for the window element is drawn. The glyph is the visible part of a character or other graphical entity that is shown in a bitmaps For example, the arrow portion of the vertical scroll bar arrow 28 visual element (Figure 1) constitutes a corresponding glyph. The glyph is drawn to have size that is in a specified proportion relative to the dimensions of the rectangle (step 94). The proportional size of a glyph to the rectangle is empirically defined and is chosen for each element to ensure its best appearance. Once the bitmap for the system-provided visual element has been completely generated, the resulting bitmap is stored in the bitmap cache 52 (Figure 3) along with the other bitmaps (step 96 in Figure 6). Thus, the revised bitmap may be used in all future calls by the system or application programs to draw the corresponding system-provided window element on the video display 46 or printer 47.

Claims: A method for use in a data processing system (36) having an output device (46), a memory means (40) holding an application program and an operating system (48), and a processor (38) for running the application program and the operating system, a method comprising the steps of: a) providing, in the operating system, standard window elements (12, 14,16,18,20) for providing functionality to windows (10) for use by the operating system and the application program, wherein the operating system (48) provides a bitmap of a given size for a selected one of the window elements; b) in response to a request by a user to change the selected one of the window elements to a new size, storing a redrawn bitmap for the selected one of the window elements to have the new size as part of the operating system in the memory means; and c) using the redrawn bitmap to output the selected one of the window elements with the output device as part of a window. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a prompt that is output by the output device to request the user to select the new size for the bitmap of the selected window element and, in response to the prompt, receiving the request by user to change the selected window element to the new size. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of generating the prompt further comprises the step of generating a dialog box (64) that is output by the output device and that exhibits a current choice of a size of the bitmap for the selected window element. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of outputting by the output device a preview (68) of how the selected window element appears when output with the output device to have the current choice of the size of the bitmap for the selected window element. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap in a cache (52) that is part of the operating system (48). The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of using the re-drawn bitmap to output the selected window element further comprises the step of retrieving the re-drawn bitmap from the cache and using the retrieved bitmap to output the selected window element with the output device as part of the window. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected window element is a system menu button and the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the selected window element further comprises the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the system menu button as part of the operating system in the memory means. The method as cited in claim 1, wherein the selected window element is a minimize button and the step of storing the re-drawn bit map of the selected window element further comprises the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the minimize button as part of the operating system in the memory means. The method as cited in claim 1 wherein the selected window element is a maximize button (20) and the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the selected window element further comprises the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the maximize button as part of the operating system in the memory means. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the selected window element is a scroll bar arrow (28) and the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the selected window element further comprises the step of storing the re-drawn bitmap of the scroll bar arrow as part of the operating system in the memory means. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device is a video display and the step of using the re-drawn bitmap to output the selected window element with the output device as part of the window further comprises the step of using the re-drawn bitmap to output the selected window element with the video display as part of the window. The method as cited in claim 1 wherein the output device is a printer (47) and the step of using the re-drawn bitmap to output the selected window element on the output device as part of the window further comprises the step of using the re-drawn bitmap to output the selected window element with the printer as part of the window. A data processing system comprising: an output device (46): a storage device (40) for holding an application program and an operating system (48), wherein said storage system includes; i) standard window elements (12,14,16,18,20) for providing functionality to windows for use by the operating system and the application program, said operating system providing a bitmap of a given size for a selected one of the window elements; ii) a facility (64) for receiving user requests to change the selected one of the window element s to a new size; and iii) a facility (52) for storing in the storage device a redrawn bitmap for the selected one of the window element s having the new size in response to the user request. The data processing system of claim 13 wherein the operating system further comprises means for outputting the re-drawn bitmap to output the selected window element with the output device. The data processing system of claim 13, the operating system further comprsising a cache (52) of bitmaps for the standard window elements for use by the application program and the operating system.

Inventors: BOGDAN JEFFREY L, BOGDAN, JEFFREY L.
Applicants: MICROSOFT CORP, MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G06F3
IPC codes: G09G5, G06F9, G06F3